Wijewickrama Lahiru, Jeewantha Janitha, Perera G Indika P, Alajarmeh Omar, Epaarachchi Jayantha
Department of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, CINEC Campus, Malabe 10120, Sri Lanka.
Centre for Future Materials, Institute for Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Aug 29;17(17):2345. doi: 10.3390/polym17172345.
Fiber-reinforced composites (FRCs) have emerged as transformative alternatives to traditional marine construction materials, owing to their superior corrosion resistance, design flexibility, and strength-to-weight ratio. This review comprehensively examines the current state of FRC technologies in marine deck and underwater applications, with a focus on manufacturing methods, durability challenges, and future innovations. Thermoset polymer composites, particularly those with epoxy and vinyl ester matrices, continue to dominate marine applications due to their mechanical robustness and processing maturity. In contrast, thermoplastic composites such as Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) and Polyether Ketone Ketone (PEKK) offer advantages in recyclability and hydrothermal performance but are hindered by higher processing costs. The review evaluates the performance of various fiber types, including glass, carbon, basalt, and aramid, highlighting the trade-offs between cost, mechanical properties, and environmental resistance. Manufacturing processes such as vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) and automated fiber placement (AFP) enable efficient production but face limitations in scalability and in-field repair. Key durability concerns include seawater-induced degradation, moisture absorption, interfacial debonding, galvanic corrosion in FRP-metal hybrids, and biofouling. The paper also explores emerging strategies such as self-healing polymers, nano-enhanced coatings, and hybrid fiber architectures that aim to improve long-term reliability. Finally, it outlines future research directions, including the development of smart composites with embedded structural health monitoring (SHM), bio-based resin systems, and standardized certification protocols to support broader industry adoption. This review aims to guide ongoing research and development efforts toward more sustainable, high-performance marine composite systems.
纤维增强复合材料（FRCs）已成为传统海洋建筑材料的变革性替代品，这得益于其卓越的耐腐蚀性、设计灵活性和强度重量比。本综述全面考察了FRC技术在海洋甲板和水下应用中的现状，重点关注制造方法、耐久性挑战和未来创新。热固性聚合物复合材料，特别是那些具有环氧和乙烯基酯基体的复合材料，由于其机械强度和加工成熟度，继续在海洋应用中占据主导地位。相比之下，聚醚醚酮（PEEK）和聚醚酮酮（PEKK）等热塑性复合材料在可回收性和水热性能方面具有优势，但受到较高加工成本的阻碍。该综述评估了各种纤维类型的性能，包括玻璃纤维、碳纤维、玄武岩纤维和芳纶纤维，突出了成本、机械性能和耐环境性之间的权衡。真空辅助树脂传递模塑（VARTM）和自动纤维铺放（AFP）等制造工艺能够实现高效生产，但在可扩展性和现场修复方面存在局限性。关键的耐久性问题包括海水引起的降解、吸湿、界面脱粘、玻璃钢-金属混合体中的电偶腐蚀和生物污损。本文还探讨了诸如自修复聚合物、纳米增强涂层和混合纤维结构等新兴策略，这些策略旨在提高长期可靠性。最后，它概述了未来的研究方向，包括开发具有嵌入式结构健康监测（SHM）的智能复合材料、生物基树脂系统以及标准化认证协议，以支持更广泛的行业采用。本综述旨在指导正在进行的研发工作，朝着更可持续、高性能的海洋复合系统发展。
